Spring-wheel.



' W. T.. UME. i' SPRING WHEEL,4 l APPLIGATioN 'P ILED AUG.A19, i912. 1,060,146. Patented a@1m29-,1913.

WILLIAM T. URIE, OF INDEPENDENCE, MISSURI.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Application filed August 19, 1912.v Serial N o. 715,860.

To all whom, if may concern Be it known that I, lVILLiAM T.' URIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Independence, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SpringlV heels, of which the following is a specilication,l reference being had to the accom.- 'panying drawings. r

"lhis-invention relates to .spring wheels and has for its object-to provide an improved spring spoke for vehicle wheels whereby a maximum of resiliency and dumbility in .wheels of this character is obtained.

invention resides in the provision of a wheel having spring spokes each consisting of a pair of1 flat resilient plates arranged 1n two circular series, the spokes of one series being staggered with relation to those of' tlieother series, said spring plates heilig so arf rangedvthat. longitudinal pressure thereon is practically. eliminated, while thrust Vin an axial .direction is imparted to'tlieresilient r plates against 'the edges thereof, thereb)7 obl `viatingdistortion of said plates. Y

Still anotherobject, of the invention resides in'tl'ie provision of a s )ring spoke fo'r y vehicle wheels consisting o a' pairof ref silient plates engaged with each otherat one of their ends and adapted to beiiixed tothe hub of the wheel, said plates extending in opposite directions and provided upon their 'outer ends with circumfercntially extending loops, the outer extremities of the plates bearing-against the felly of the wheel.

'iV ith the above andother objects in view` as will become' apparent as the description proceeds` .the invention consists in' certain 40 constructions, combinations and. arrangements of the parts that I shall liereinafte Y fully describe and claim'.

For a full understanding of the invention reference iste be had to the following deseript'ion and accompanying drawing",- in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Another and more specific object of the v nated.

fhub.

Patented Apr. 29. 1913.

having a plurality of longitudinal slots 9 formed'therein terminating at one of their ends against the inner face of said flange. At the basics of said slots the. same are provided with undercut grooves.` 10. The present invention. to be'later described, is not restricted in its use to this particular construction of wheel-hub or rim, but is simply illustrative of one of the many differentforms of wheels to'whichthe invention is applicable. It 'will ltherefore be understood .that whileI referin the following description to a specilib manner of attaching the ends of theyresilieut plates constituting the spring spokes to the felly and hub of the \vheeI,sucl11 description is'given only for the purpose o f a'ording a clear understanding of the .function and operation of the i11- ventio'iilin actual use. 1 75 As abovestated, the chief purposes-of the invention is to devise a spring spoke for vehicle-`wheelslwhich will result in av 'maxianun/ f'elasticitvin the wheel asa whole. In other words, thelobvject 'aimed at by prior go -invc'itors in 'this aitf to obtain a spoke which-.Quill assimilate vertical thrusts di rectlyabove and below the'axle of the wheel and also ateach side thereof, oi in a circum'ferel'itial direction.' Itwill of course be s.; at once apl'n'eciatcd'that inorder to .do this and still secure a .spoke which .will with# stand the-great st ain's' to which' -the same are'subjectcd, load pressure inthe direction of the length of the spoke must be elimilt is also an essential requirement in the accomplishment ofthe above stated' purpose that a springr of greatcij'length than .the radius ofthe wheel-be interposed bc-l .twcen the hub and rnn thereof. These s everal features are all successfully taken care of b v means ofthe `present. invention.- which I4 will now proceed todescribe in detail.

. Bet\\'een' ,the .hubandfelly of thewheel, two circular "series of spokes are arrangcd.` lach of these-spokes consists of' the spring plates 1Q, theV innerends of which are engaged upon'each other and'at their extremities are provided with oppositely extending vflanges or lugs 13ste be received in theE un- 3.05.

dercut grooves 10 at the bases of the'slots 0 i in the' wheel hub T. An annular retainin plate 1-l`is arranged against; the edges o the inner ends of'lsaid plates and the 4same retained in position in v.the slots t) of the A The external diameter of this'retaining plate is substantially equivalent to theV are slightly inclined outwardly' as indidiameter of the flange 8 on the wheel` hub.` Fastening bolts are disposed through'registering openings in the plate 14 and the point adjacent to the hub of the wheel, the

- the inclined vportions 16 of the plates of plates 12 constituting each of the spokes,.

are bent laterally in opposite directions and cated at 16.v The outer ends of the plates 12 are reversely bent andv inwardly extended toward each other to form wide open loops 17, the extremities of said plates being fixed to the felly ofthe wheel by means of the bolts 18.

the spokes in one circular series are fixed to the hub of the wheel at points intermediate of or between the fixed inner ends of the other circular series of spokes, and that one spoke intersect the similar portionscf' the plates of the adjacent spoke of theother circular spoke series. In order to admit of this intersection or passing of the plates of one series with relation to those ef the other series, the spokes of the respective series are offset in opposite directions from their inner fixed ends as shown at 19, (see Fig. 2), such offset or angular portions of the plates eX- tending to a 4slight distance from the outer I edges of-the flange 8 of. the'hub and the retaining plate 14. It will be noted that by thusotfsettingthe spring spokes, the inner edges o'f the spokes of each series which are opposed' to each other are slightly spaced.

. automobile or other `vehicle-is provided with an extremely large" brake drum. In such .cases the' inside series of spokes will be extended stiaight from the hub without providing the otlset 19, so that said spokes will not interfere with the brake drum.

From the above description and an inspection of the accompanying drawing, it will be' readily seen that the force or pressure ofv the'load is' applied to the spring plates in a direction at right angles to their length so that there will be little or no end pressure upon the same. The thrust upon the wheel in a direction 'parallel with its axis is directed against' the longitudinal edges of the spokes, and the wheel rim or fellyv will thus be held against twisting or turning movement when the vehicle rounds a curve', the large, number of spokes form4 inga substantially rigid or unyielding brace between the'hub and felly ofthe wheel under such circumstances. By providing the comparatively lengthy intermediate 'por- 65 tions 16 in the' plates and the wide looped ends 17 thereof, a very easy runningmotion -By providing the spring spokes of comparatively' great'length, when the spokes beneath It will be observed that the inner ends ofthe wheel axle `are 'compressed under the l weight of the load, the spokes at the sides and above the-axle Awill readily give'or ex.- 80 pand, one set of spokes serving to minixniafe he elect of the compression and lexpansion of the other series 'of spokes. It will of n vcourse be readily understood,that the size and number ofthe 'springspokes wlllbe'85 'regulated in. accordance with the weight of the vehicleand the maximum load te be cap. ried thereby.

' In the accompanying drawing 'I have illus- 'tr'ated' an 'y embodiment of. my invention l90 which at' the present time I deem preferable, v but it will be obvious-that the details of construction may be variously' modified within the skill vof a mechanip "without departing :from the spirit of theinvention, and it is Ato befurther understood that in carrying Aout my invention Iam not'restricted to the particularjorm orconstructlon of the seyeral elements otherwise thanas'dened 1n the appended claim. l i

Having thusdescribed the invention what. is claimed-is: AA

A spring spoke for vehicle Wheelscomprising a pair of resilient plates 'having short obliquely disposed portions adjacentone of their ends, said oblique poitions ofthe plates being Vcloselyengaged and projecting j from the periphery of the wheel hub to which the inner.extremities of the plates are secured, said plates being extended laterally from the oblique portions thereof and having their outer ends formed into open loops,

the extremitiesof which are spaced apart and fixed to the Wheel felly.

`. In testimony whereof I hereunto 'affix'. my 115 signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM T. URIE.

" Witnesses:

E. V.` BUCHANAN, J. M. Rennen. 

